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Summary List of stories Phase II Night: Ashes, Metal, And Corruption << chapter 49 Chapter 50 of 75 Through A Distorted Lens chapter 51 >> << previous scene Scene 1 of 2 next scene >> Location Participants Time Summary Prologue | Phase I | Phase II | Epilogue 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 Text Luna grumbled a little under her breath, feeling distinctly... crabby, was probably the best word for it. Antares was on her back, clinging quietly to her and looking more than a little unhappy. This was because for the foal, it had been a very long, very bad day: to start with, he had been abandoned at the park by Meadowlark and her parents after a short ten minutes of playing with the filly, told by Engelhart with a patronizing pat on the head that a big boy like he was shouldn't have a problem getting back to the library. So Antares had attempted to find his way back after they had left, but had only ended up in getting lost: to a two year old foal, Ponyville was a very, very big place. After leaving the library, Luna, Scrivener and Twilight had gone to the park: it had only been a little over an hour of discussion, so they had expected to find Antares there, playing with Meadowlark. Instead, they found only a few other foals and ponies they didn't know, and Luna had gone into full hyperventilating panic as Scrivener had begun wildly looking around for his son. Scrivener had hurriedly started searching the streets nearby while Luna and Twilight had taken to the air: Luna had quickly spotted her son, looking dirty and crying quietly by Vinyl Scratch's new nightclub. Thankfully, it was abandoned; this place didn't get busy until nightfall. Luna had shot down like meteor, swept up Antares, and he had clung tightly to her, babbling away as she'd shushed and comforted and rocked him slowly in the alley. Once the foal had babbled out what had happened, Luna had passed Antares to Twilight, told her kindly to go to the library and help clean Antares up, and that she would join them shortly. Antares had whimpered a little, but Luna had only cracked her neck and muttered: "Oh fear not, child, tonight we shall spend much time together. And nor am I angry at thee. Some parents need simply to learn that they should treat the children of others as well as they do their own." Luna and Scrivener had stormed over to the quaint little house where Ameliorate and Engelhart lived: nice ponies, good ponies, who spoiled their chatty daughter and whose only real failing was that they were perhaps a little too inwardly-focused... but also now ponies who had crossed Luna in a way not even the Clockwork Ponies had dared to. So, as they stood outside their house, Luna looked moodily over the front of it before flicking her horn, and a blast of lightning had hammered down into the roof and set it aflame. Not a serious fire, but more than enough to send Engelhart running out of the door, panicking, and Luna had rolled her eyes before snapping: "Oh cease thy whimpering, idiot!" With that, Luna flicked her horn again, and a second blast of lightning hammered directly into the burning section of the building, sending up chunks of mortar and a burst of burnt hay and insulation but turning the scorching flames to seared, choked embers. Engelhart had stared in horror at this, then turned to them, grabbing at his head and shouting: "My house!" "You abandoned my son in a playground!" Luna leaned forwards and roared, and the Royal Guard was knocked on his back by the force of her voice as the windows behind him cracked, Luna snarling as she stomped a hoof aggressively and Scrivener simply fixed the Pegasus with the nastiest glare he could. "He is a two year old colt!" "I... I thought he was at least five!" Engelhart sat up dumbly, then he winced and scrambled back inside his house when Luna charged at him, shouting hurriedly over his shoulder: "It was an accident!" "I'll show thee an accident!" Luna shouted, doing a furious little dance outside his home before she glared at him through the window. "Where is Ameliorate? I wish to pummel her too!" "She and Meadowlark are out getting dresses, it was just an accident, Lady Luna, I thought he was much older!" Engelhart said hurriedly, wincing and shaking his head wildly. "I swear that it will never, ever happen again, okay?" "Of course it shan't, I shan't ever trust either of thee again! Damned fools!" Luna shouted angrily through the window, then she stepped forwards and swung her horn into it, shattering it and making Engelhart groan in horror, grabbing at his face again and looking terrified and angry... but he was at least not stupid enough to try and do anything that would vex Luna further, since she was Celestia's sister as well as known for her violent talents. "I would ban Meadowlark from my household too, I would hold her as accountable as I do thou and Ameliorate, but I will not further upset my foal! Now come out of thy house and take thy pummeling like a stallion, turtle!" "This isn't a way to make friends!" Engelhart shouted in a strangled voice from the house, and Luna glared through the broken window as Scrivener reflected how, coming from anypony but him, it wasn't quite as funny. "Stop wrecking my house!" "Then come out of it! Thou fled back inside like a whelp, not like a soldier!" Luna snapped, flicking her horn and sending a bolt of lightning chaining violently back and forth over the front of the home, and then she stomped her hooves childishly before Scrivener finally reached up and gently touched her shoulder, calming her slowly as she grumbled under her breath. "Great coward. Great fat coward. He is fat, Scrivener. He is fat and a coward." Scrivener nodded meditatively, and then he called dryly: "Before you think about doing anything dumb in there, Engelhart, this is Luna after she calmed down a good bit. If I were you, I'd count yourself lucky, tell Meadowlark that a storm hit the house, and we'll all go on as if nothing ever happened." The Pegasus grumbled something from inside his home, and Scrivener and Luna traded look before Luna moodily stepped forwards and poked the wall a few times with her horn, muttering: "Thou art a wicked home to wicked ponies. Thou must become a good house and set a good example for these ponies or I shall pummel thee apart. Wicked house." Scrivener Blooms sighed a little... but thankfully that had been that, and they had gone back to the library to pick up Antares and Twilight Sparkle, and then make their way home. Celestia had apologized several times over, but Luna didn't blame her for anything... even if she'd tried to hit Celestia a few times, but Scrivener was fairly sure that was mostly just old habits and Luna's awkward way of trying to show honesty and concern. Now they were on their way back to their cottage home: her, Antares, Scrivener Blooms, and Twilight Sparkle. Scarlet Sage would likely be along tonight – assuming they survived Avalon, that was – and in all likelihood Celestia would come and visit as well. This thought, at least, helped perk Luna up a bit as she smiled to herself and thought of the sword her sister had received from Odin... a truly impressive gift, and a weapon she desired to test herself against with her spear. She paused, looking thoughtfully over at Scrivener as they walked calmly down the path, and the stallion glanced back at her with surprise before he snorted in amusement, attracting Twilight's attention as well. "Luna. I'm not naming your spear for you. For one thing, if you never named your spear, it probably wasn't actually that important to name, was it? For another, that should be your job, not mine." Luna huffed at this, shaking her head and replying flatly: "Well, thou art the writer person! Thou must have some use, mustn't thou, poet?" "Names are hard, Luna." Scrivener complained loudly, and Twilight couldn't help but laugh at the pony's tone as he gave a pleading look to Luna, who glared at his childishness: admittedly, the reversal from the usual norm made Twilight's mood lighten, and even Antares perked up a little. "You... name it." "Thou shall name it!" Luna retorted huffily, shaking her head rapidly, and the two glared at each other, their eyes locking for moment as emotions and ideas twisted back and forth between them before Scrivener winced a bit, and the winged unicorn leaned forwards with an expression that immediately became one of concern before the earth pony shook his head quickly. "No, no, I'm fine. Just a bolt of the corruption. Emotions or something, maybe, fuzzing around too much." Scrivener smiled a little after a moment, looking awkwardly ahead down the path. For a few moments, there was only the sound of the forest, the gentle breeze in the leaves, their hooves crunching quietly over the path... and then he finally said abruptly: "Dauðadagr is a nice, vicious name." "Thou likes the old words, doesn't thou?" Luna looked over at him with entertainment, and Scrivener shrugged after a moment before Luna looked down thoughtfully. "And aye, 'tis a good word, but... 'tis not as good as it could be. Alright... uh... Twilight Sparkle, name my spear." "Wait, what?" Twilight looked over at Luna blankly, and when the sapphire mare looked at her insistently, Twilight winced a bit and said awkwardly: "I don't... think that... I mean, well..." "Bah, fine. I shall come back to thee later." Luna grumbled and rolled her eyes, instead glancing up now as Antares propped himself up a little on her back, smiling as his mother's starry locks flowed around him gently. "What about thou, Antares? Does thou have a name for my spear?" Antares scrunched his muzzle up in thought, frowning a bit as he looked down thoughtfully before he asked curiously: "Why doesn't it have a name already?" Luna looked surprised at this response, and then she simply shrugged, looking forwards and smiling a bit before she said finally: "Because I never needed to compete with my sister before now. Aye, 'tis my spear. 'Tis as part of my body. But to name it would have felt like naming part of my body. I would not name part of my body, now would I?" "I don't know about that. But then again, I've always felt that if someone was to give me any trouble, I can always use reason and persuasion." Discombobulation's voice said calmly from behind them, and the ponies halted to look back in surprise at the sight of the Draconequus strolling nonchalantly along before he smiled slightly as he rose his left prosthetic fist slowly. "Here's reason." A pause as he lifted his right fist. "And here's persuasion." Luna looked thoughtfully at Discombobulation for a moment, and then she finally grinned and said in an entertained voice: "Discombobulation, I know thou art nothing but a horrid thief, but this particular quote delights me and I fear I shall have to steal it from thee. Perhaps I shall even have it etched into my hooves!" "Luna, no body modifications." Scrivener said dryly, and Luna huffed at him grumpily before the charcoal pony smiled slightly over at Discombobulation. "How are you holding up?" "In the words of your wife, Luna, shut up." Discombobulation said dryly, and Scrivener snorted in entertainment with a roll of his eyes before the Draconequus added finally: "But to answer your unasked – or perhaps just too-politely-asked – question, I have no better way to spend my time right now than walking along with you ponies. It also helps me feel a little better about having slept through that whole nasty confrontation that went on. Not that I would have done much apart from pee myself, of course, but I suppose that could have been a rather good distraction, yes?" Luna nodded seriously at this, replying kindly: "Aye, 'twas a method to distract the enemy that Sleipnir himself used more than once." Antares giggled at this as Twilight rolled her eyes and Scrivener looked at her meditatively, saying finally: "I really can't tell whether or not you're being serious, and that kind of bothers me a little. I don't think peeing all over yourself is usually considered a valid fighting technique, after all." "Oh, what does thou know, thou art just a poet." Luna huffed, and Scrivener sighed tiredly as Antares giggled a little louder and Discombobulation smiled slightly. "Bob, what would thou name my spear?" "Oh, I have a whole list of names right here." Discombobulation snapped his fingers, and a large, thick magazine appeared in his hand, already open as he looked meditatively through this. "Let's see... uh... Venus Gospel? Dragon's Hair? Holy Lance? You know, there aren't as many spears as I thought in these games. Your weapon just isn't that popular." "My weapon is plenty popular! 'Tis nothing better than a spear!" Luna argued, looking almost outraged as she swung her horn violently back and forth, and Antares giggled again as Scrivener winced away from the sapphire winged unicorn. "Very well! I shall name the weapon myself if I must, but know that I am very disappointed in thee, Bob and Twilight and beetle." "You could always call it Andlitstingar or something like that." Scrivener muttered, and then he frowned as Luna's eyes lit up brightly at this, the stallion groaning and shaking his head quickly. "Luna, no you can't call it that!" "I knew thou would come up with a fitting name!" Luna said cheerfully, completely ignoring Scrivener's reaction, and then she nodded firmly a few times to herself before saying positively: "Andlitstingar! I adore it!" Scrivener only groaned again, even as Discombobulation cleared his throat loudly, and Antares and Twilight both looked curiously at Luna... although in the violet mare's case, there was more than a little visible apprehension. "What does that mean?" Luna smiled cheerfully over at Twilight in response as Scrivener grumbled under his breath, before the sapphire mare said positively: "Face-stabber." Twilight stared as Antares giggled, and then he laughed louder as his mother's mane swirled up around him and tickled against his body, fidgeting back and forth as his leathery wings flapped a few times. "Mom, you're funny!" The sapphire mare only smiled warmly over her shoulder in response, feeling her mood lightening further at the sound of her son's merriment. Even Scrivener couldn't resist a smile as he glanced towards his friend, wife, and soulmate, and then he laughed himself when Luna leaned over and firmly buried her face against the side of his neck. They walked onwards, and Scrivener was more thankful than he could express for the way everyone's mood lightened, and for the bubble of happiness his little family was able to find, even amidst all the madness of what was going on around them, even through the nightmares and the looming threat of Clockwork World. But they had each other, and that was what mattered: they were all here for one-another, through thick and thin, good and bad. The rest of the journey back to the cottage was quiet but comfortable, throwing off both irritation and worries for now. Discombobulation yawned as he mumbled something about taking a nap, vanishing from the spot in a puff of smoke before his prosthetic arm clattered to the grass. A moment later, a small, green-tinged portal ripped open in reality just above the earth, and the Draconequus stuck his arm through this, a few grumbles rising up as he felt around in the grass until he snagged the wooden bicep of his prosthetic and dragged it quickly through the portal. Antares was feeling better now, and wanted to play a game with them: Luna was always glad to indulge her child, but tried to convince him to have a snack, first, and Scrivener smiled amusedly as Antares fidgeted and half-argued in his odd, gentle way. Finally, the stallion cut in, as Luna whined at more than rationally reasoned with their son: "Why don't you head out back, and you can play a little while I fix up a quick something to eat? You can eat on the back deck and then go back to playing." "'Tis exactly what I was about to suggest!" Luna complained, and Scrivener rolled his eyes before she headbutted him lightly, making him wince. "Go then, poet. Antares requires fruit slices." Scrivener gave Luna an amused look, but Antares nodded and smiled before he hopped off his mother's back, and Scrivener reached out to ruffle his son's mane. "Alright, alright. Fruit slices. I'll be out in a minute, kiddo. Twilight, keep an eye on them both, huh?" "Of course." Twilight smiled slightly, then cleared her throat when Luna glared at her. "I... I'm just saying I'll be out there with you, that's all." Scrivener smiled to himself as he entered the house, calmly walking down the corridor... and then he winced and slid to a hat in the den room, his eyes locking on the sight of Gymbr sitting in the archway between counter divider and wall. "Well, what the hell are you doing here?" Only silence greeted him in return, which Scrivener was admittedly glad for: if the toy had actually spoken back to him, he probably would have turned and bolted at this point. There was too much about the strange doll that was up in the air, after all... and Scrivener grimaced before he carefully rose a hoof and reached out to apprehensively poke it a few times, making it sway a little on the spot... but it didn't do anything else, and the stallion wheezed in relief. Gymbr had been appearing only rarely over the last while, likely sensing that Luna and Scrivener both wanted to bludgeon it to pieces if possible after what it had done to Scarlet Sage and through her, to Apple Bloom. But they'd had no luck whatsoever in figuring out a way to damage the toy. As a matter of fact, it had rendered their efforts so fruitless and anticlimactic that Luna had completely refused to talk about it after the few times they'd taken the toy away to try and at least find a way to damage it. But the strange toy wanted something, that was clear as day. Neither Scrivener nor Luna were sure of just what it was, any more than they knew why the doll seemed intent on protecting Antares: as a matter of fact, compounding this mystery, once Antares had brought them several pieces of Ambrosia that had fallen off the tree. He'd admitted they'd been very tempting to eat, but Gymbr had told him 'no,' so he had brought them to his parents instead to get rid of. So Gymbr wouldn't put Antares at even the slightest risk, even to try and increase their son's strength. The complete opposite of what he'd done with Scarlet Sage, and perhaps was trying to do with everyone else... and as Scrivener poked at the toy, he asked in a mutter: "Do you want us all to become your evil army or something, while you raise Antares as your son? That'd be pretty rude, you know. He's not your son. He's my son, mine and Luna's." The doll seemed to glare up at him with his button eyes, and Scrivener finally reached out and picked the toy up. He studied it for a few moments, then finally shook his head out and tossed it aside as he began to step forwards... And instead, he felt a strange tingling sensation along his foreleg, and Scrivener frowned as he looked at his empty hoof before he realized he could feel something on his back. Slowly, he awkwardly looked over his shoulder... and then he swallowed and stared at the sight of Gymbr sitting on his back, saying lamely: "Well. Either I just made the weirdest throw ever or you've decided to be a bit more proactive in moving around, huh?" Gymbr only sat silently, and Scrivener cleared his throat, feeling somehow like panicking or attempting to throw the doll off wouldn't be a good idea. So instead, he carefully looked forwards and said awkwardly: "I'm going to make Antares' snack now." Scrivener tried to ignore the doll sitting calmly on his back as he went about the process of cutting up an apple for Antares and slicing up a block of cheese to put on some crackers as well. The process of putting together the food soothed him, even if Gymbr's weight made him nervous... as did the way that even when he stood up on his rear legs, the toy didn't topple from his back, and if anything he only felt it pressing down all the firmer against him in plain defiance of gravity. Scrivener headed for the back door, and he felt Luna's tenseness in his mind now, knowing she had probably picked up Gymbr's presence from his thoughts the moment he had seen the toy. He hesitated all the same in front of the door, then looked over his shoulder moodily, muttering around the tray handle in his mouth: "Let's all try to get along, okay?" Gymbr remained silent, and Scrivener looked back ahead before he felt a distinct shift on his back, and then a strange voice whispered into his ear, into his mind: My story is not yet over, Scrivener Blooms. I won't let my story end... I won't let yours end, either. Scrivener's head lashed around, sending some of the foodstuff flying, but Gymbr was simply gone. For a moment, Scrivy only breathed hard around the tray in his jaws, staring back and forth before he cursed under his breath and instead turned his eyes forwards, swallowing thickly and forcing himself to at least look calm as he shoved out onto the back deck and approached the table. He put down the tray and looked awkwardly at the spilled jumble of food on it, and Antares immediately ran for his father, skidding to a halt in front of him and looking up at him with concern in his eyes. "Daddy, what's wrong?" But Scrivener only smiled a little, reaching a hoof out to silently ruffle his son's mane. All the same, Antares looked worried, and Luna was standing in the backyard, staring at Scrivener with disbelief or what had happened as Twilight frowned anxiously. But never before had Gymbr been so direct... and the charcoal pony shook his head before he looked down at his son, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to burden him with the truth... so finally, he said softly: "Grown-up stuff. Don't worry, Antares. I'm already feeling better, just seeing you." And it was true, as Scrivener smiled a little, then he picked his son up and hugged him impulsively as Antares laughed before the stallion set the colt down in one of the chairs around the table, saying softly: "Go ahead and eat up. I gotta clean up the mess I made by mistake." "Okay, Dad." Antares looked reassured as he smiled after the stallion, and even Twilight seemed more at ease as she gazed softly after the charcoal male. As the violet mare approached the table, Antares glanced over at her with a smile, and then he picked up an apple slice and offered it to her, Twilight looking surprise as the colt said warmly: "You no gotta ask, Twilight. You're family." "Don't have to." Twilight corrected gently, but she smiled a little all the same, her horn glowing as she lifted the apple slice with telekinesis and carried it over to her mouth before she bit into it and said softly: "Thanks, though, Antares. But I guess..." "Do not guess, know." Luna said firmly as she approached, nudging Twilight firmly with her shoulder, and the purple mare blushed before the sapphire mare looked softly towards Antares, hesitating only a moment before she asked impulsively: "Does thou know the story that Gymbr wants to share with us?" Antares looked up in surprise at this, and then it visibly dawned on him why his father had been a little unhappy even as Scrivener poked his head out of the back door and glared at Luna. Luna, however, had all her attention focused on Antares for the moment, cocking her head curiously at the expression on his face before the foal smiled a little, and said softly: "I bet it'll be a sad story. Gymbr has a lot of stories, but a lot of them are sad." And with that, Antares quietly put another apple slice in his mouth and chewed slowly, and Luna frowned thoughtfully as Twilight looked at her with apprehension and soft concern, even as new questions began to flit their way anxiously through her mind. Category:Transcript Category:Story